St. Patrick's Day Dinner At My House

I had a rough time deciding what I would make for St. Patrick's Day dinner. I've never cooked the traditional corned beef, cabbage and potatoes and although some of Jamie's other recipes were looking festive as well, I decided to stick with tradition. Jamie doesn't have a corned beef recipe in this book and while researching corned beef recipes online, I did find out that this meal is not Irish at all, but invented by Irish American immigrants. Some theorize that it came about in New York City, where Irish American immigrants borrowed the idea of corned beef brisket from their Jewish neighbors. To go with my corned beef tonight, I decide to make Jamie's Best Baby Potatoes (pg. 218) and Braised Bacon Cabbage (pg. 226). I must say that while chopping up the cabbage and washing my potatoes during the precious minutes of the toddler's nap time I was a bit bitter thinking that this was a waste of time and that no one was going to eat it. But, a deals a deal, so I got everything ready and put my corned beef in a pot on top of the stove. It cooked all afternoon. About 20 minutes before the corned beef was to be done I started on the potatoes. Jamie's cooking method shocked me. I must have read it over three times and had my husband read it too. "Half fill a large saucepan with boiling water from your kettle and add a pinch of salt." Really? Boil the water in the kettle and then add to the pot with the potatoes? Huh! Shocking! I follow the directions though and while my potatoes are boiling away for 15 minutes I start on the cabbage. I cook up bacon in some olive oil and realize this is not the first recipe of Jamie's with bacon in it, Jamie likes his bacon! I add the garlic and as soon as I add what I'm guessing is the key ingredient, Worcestershire sauce, from three separate rooms and the neighbor across the street you can hear people go, "MMMMMmmmmmmmm." Wow! The kitchen smells great which isn't something I associate at all with cooking this meal. I add some butter and the cabbage, "give a good stir" and I then have to work really fast. The next step calls for adding a bouillon cube to boiling water and I realize I'm out of burners! I stick some water in the microwave and feel like I'm cheating a bit but oh well….Add my cube, add to the cabbage and put the lid on. Phew! I feel like I'm conducting an orchestra as I move back to the potatoes to put the finishing touches on them - mint and lemon juice. I take the cabbage off the stove and put everything on the table and it looks great! Kid takes a bite of the cabbage and decides she likes it, "REALLY?" we say. She changes her mind about 12 bites later, I honestly don't understand how that can happen but I'm proud of her for sticking in there for those 12 bites. The corned beef is a hit, everyone fights over the potatoes. CRAZY! Well, almost everyone, the toddler doesn't touch and of it and keeps Mooo-ing at his sister's green milk. So, we give a big cheers with our beer and green milk and call it a good night with Jamie Oliver!
Recipes cooked: 7
Recipes left: 166
Days left: 353